Vending machine



Jan. 1, 1929. 1,697,378

: N. R. WISHAM VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Final.

4 snow Wow Nod Robi. Wisham.

Jan. 1, 1929, r 1,697,378

N. R. WISHAM VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l 2 n' 5 "i, hlll l' I Zlwomtoz Noel Robtwisham.

Patented Jan. 1, 1 929.

NOEL B. WISI-IAIVI, 0F

VENDING Application filed February This invention relates to new and useful improvements in vending machines, and particularly to machines for vending cigarettes and matches.

-One object of the invention is to provide a machine which, when a coin is deposited therein, will automatically discharge a single cigarette and a single match.

Another object is to provide a motor which is adapted tobe set in motionby the action of a coin or check, and which advances and discharges a match and a cigarette, and then stops, the coin or check being deposited in a receptacle within the cabinet of the machine.

Other objects'and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

.In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a vending machine made in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View on the line 22 of Figure 1, looking downwardly.

Figure. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the machine, the adjacentside wall, and portions of the intermediate wall being broken away to expose the mechanism within the cabinet. 7

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, 10 represents a cabinet which includes the side walls 11, the top and bottom walls 12 and 13, and the front and rear doors 14 and 15, these latter permitting access to the interior of the cabinet from both front and rear, to refill the magazine and carrier withcigarettes and matches, respectively, and for adjustments and repairs. In the center of the cabinet there is disposed a vertical partition wall. 16, which extends forwardly and rearwardly to divide themterior into the two compartments 17 and 18. In the lower portion of the rear edge of the partition 16 there is formed an opening 19 through which is disposed the transverse shaft 20, said shaft being journaled in suitable brackets 21, on the side walls of the cabinet.

Journaled in one of the side walls 11, and the partition 16, within the upper and lower portions, of the compartment 13, are the rollers 22 and 23, and engaged around these rollers is an endless belt 24 which carries a plurality of transverse series or rows of MITCHELL, GEORGIA.

MACHINE.

14,1925. Serial No. 9,207.

curved pins 25, for supporting matches. On

the end of the lower roller 23, adjacent the partition 16, there is secured the ratchet wheel 26, with which is engaged the hooked end 27, of the link 28, said link having its other end pivotally' connected with a radial arm 29 on the shaft 20, whereby when the shaft 20 is rocked, thelink engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 26 and advances the belt one step, to discharge a match from the front of the cabinet, upon the partial rotation of the lower roller. Movably secured at its upper end, in the compartment 18, over the upper end of the belt, is an elongated metal plate 29, which lies in close relation to the upper lap of the belt to retain the matches thereon, the lower end being releasably held by the spring latch 30, which latch is carried by the side wall 11.

In the lower portion of the compartment 17 there is mounted a shelf 31, on which is slidably disposed the cigarette discharging member 32. The forward endof this member is providedwith an elongated rectangular opening 33, which is arranged to be dis. posed, intermittently beneath the cigarette magazine 34, which is mounted in the front of the compartment '17, as clearly seen in Figure 1. This member 32 is arranged to be moved forwardly to such a distance that the cigarette will fall from the front end of the shelf 31, onto the ledge 35 which is mounted on the lower portion of the front of the cabinet. The front door 14 is slightly shorter than the height of the cabinet, whereby to permit the matches and cigarettes to pass therebeneath,

Mounted on the partition 16, within the compartment 17, is a clock mechanism 36, which includes the minute hand arbor 37, the rock shaft 38, carrying the arm 39, and the arms 40 and 41, as well as the notched wheel 42 and the projection 43 of the shaft 44. Mounted on the partition. 16, above the cigarette magazine, is a coin or check chute 45, the upper end of which is disposed in line with the slot 46 in the front door 14. The arm 39 extends forwardly and then laterally to lie beneath the lower end ofthe coin chute 45, for the purpose of being engaged by the coin. The arm 40, of the rock shaft 38 extends toward the shaft 44, and lies in the path of the projection 43, to be engaged thereby, as the said shaft rotates. This arm 40 is provided with a weight 47 :turned which normally causes the arm to gravitate into position to be engaged by said projection. On the outer end of the minute hand arbor there is mounted a crank 48,.and pivotally connected to the crank is the upper end of the pitman rod 49. Carried by'the shaft 20, within the compartment 17, are the radially extending arms and 51, and

pivotally connectedto the arm 50 is the lower endof the pitman rod 49, the other arm 51 being pivotally connected to the inner end of the discharging member 32 by means of the link 52. A vertical pin 53 is carried by the shelf 31, which is disposed in the longitudinal slot 54, formed in the member 32, for the purpose of limiting the sliding movement thereof. An inclined plate 55 extends from a point beneath the lower end of the coin chute to a point above the inner end of the shelf 31, for the purpose of guiding the coin downwardly and rearwardly into the coin box 56. 1

In the periphery of the wheel 42 there is formed a notch 57, into which the laterally turned end 58 of the arm 41 is arranged to engage, at a certain point in the rotation of said wheel, as will be more clearly explained later herein.

Normally the arm 40 engages with the projection 43, to hold the shaft 44 against rotation, and thereby the entire clock *mechanism. The laterally turnedend of the arm 41 lies a short distance away from the periphery of the wheel 42, while the laterally end of the arm 39 is disposed beneath the lower end of the coin chute 45. The belt being filled with matches, and the magazine 34 filled with cigarettes, a coin is placed in the upper end of the chute 45, through the slot 46. The coin drops through the chute onto the end of the arm 39, depressing same to a suflieient degree to rock the shaft 38, and move the extremity of the arm 40 out of engagement with the projection 43, and the end 58 into contact with the periphery of the disk 42, whereupon the shaft 44 will be released for rotation, and theentire train of gears of the clock mechanism set in mo tion. The rotation of the arbor 37 causes the pitman rod 49 to be reciprocated, with the result that the shaft 20 will be rocked. As the shaft 20 rocks the member 32 is pushed forwardly until it discharges its contained cigarette from the frontend of the shelf 31. At the same time the shaft causes the forward movement of the link 28 which engages a tooth of the ratchet wheel 26, and gives the lower roller 23 a partial rotation, such movement of the roller causing the belt to be advanced to a sulficient degree to-drop its lowermost match into the tray or ledge 35. During these various operationsof the parts, the coin has been resting on the arm 39, and the wheel 42 rotating. When the notch 57 reaches such a point that the end of the arm 41 is urged thereinto by the downward pressure exerted by the coin on the arm 39, the shaft 38 will be rocked sufiiciently to permit the arm to drop a short distance, thereby freeing the coin, which drops onto the plate 55 and slides into the coin box 56. Immediately the weight of the arm 40 rocks the arm downwardly into the path of the projection 43, and stops theentire mechanism.

The front door 14 is provided with the glass panels 59 and 60, arranged infront of the compartments 17 and 18, respectively, to permit a view of the cigarettes and the match carrier.

A spring detent 61 is carried by the side wall 11, adjacent the lower end of the plate 29, for the purpose of holding the plate in close proximity to the belt.

Thus the deposit of a coin, within the cabinet, causes the operation of mechanism which delivers a single cigarette and a single match, and resets itself for the next similar operation. a

What is claimed is 1. A vending machine including an article magazine, a single delivery slide movable beneath the magazine and receiving therefrom, an article carrier, a rocker having a plurality of radial arms, a motor, driving connections between the motor and one of the radial arms, another of the said radial arms being operatively connected with the delivery slide, and the remaining'radial arm being arranged to intermittently drive the article carrier.

2. A vending machine including an article magazine, a single delivery slide movable beneath the magazine and receiving therefrom, an endless article carrier including a ratchet wheel, a rocker having a plurality of radial arms, a motor including a crank, a pitman connected with the crank and with one of the said radial arms, a link operatively connected with the slide and with another of the said radial arms, and a pawl carried by the remaining radial arm of the rocker engaged with the ratchet wheel, whereby upon movement of said rocker in one direction the slide will be moved to discharge the article contained therein, and upon movement of the rocker in the opposite direction the pawl will actuate the ratchet wheel to advance the endless carrier to dis charge an article therefrom.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

NOEL ROBT. VISHAM. 

